WHAT IS A SCHOLAR?

The One Family Scholars Program: A Direct Path out of Poverty Towards Economic Self-Sufficiency and Personal Self-Esteem

One Family Scholars is committed to ending family homelessness, by providing financial support for higher education, interwoven in a system of support services that parents need in order to clear the barriers that often prevent them from preparing for, and achieving, financial security. Our mission is based on the premise that education, linked with essential support services and mentoring, is the most reliable and direct route to economic independence and self-esteem. OFS also subscribes to the belief that by fostering unity among the scholars themselves, and linking them to a family and community network of support, the program embraces each Scholar as a member of a larger family, dedicated to her success. Finally, OFS encourages Scholars who successfully complete their education and secure employment to "give back" to the community through leadership opportunities, acting as Ambassadors of the program, to encourage future participants as they begin the same journey to independence.

Recipients of One Family Scholarships are typically homeless or formerly homeless women with children. Many have attempted to better their career opportunities in the past, and have been thwarted by the need to provide health care, day care or other essential services to family members which overwhelm their finances and ambition. One Family seeks to empower these mothers with the tools they need to provide for their families while completing their education and planning for a secure and safe future. Scholars may pursue their Associates' or Bachelors' Degree. How Do I Become a Scholar

Unlike traditional scholarships, this is a comprehensive program providing support and opportunities for growth to low income women who are ready to pursue higher academics. Scholars are participants in the program, not merely recipients of a grant. It is designed to provide training and wrap-around supports that low-income, working mothers need to successfully manage the demands of higher education, work, and raising a family.

Financial support
Once accepted into the program, Scholars are eligible for a grant of up to $11,000 a year, based on the scholar’s individual need. Coordinators at each of OFS's three sites, help scholars manage daily obstacles, foster peer connections, find tutors and other resources needed to ensure scholars’ success, and help each Scholar to develop a budget and a career plan to achieve success. The One Family Scholar Mentoring program matches each Scholar with a woman experienced in the Scholars field of study who meets regularly with the Scholar, providing encouragement, academic and career advice, as well as networking opportunities.

Mentoring Program
Each scholar is matched with a woman experienced in the scholars field of study who meets regularly with the scholar, providing encouragement, academic and career advice, as well as networking opportunities. Become a Mentor

Site Coordinators
At each of the three OFS sites coordinators help scholars manage daily obstacles, foster peer connections, find tutors and other resources needed to ensure scholars’ success, and help each Scholar to develop a budget and a career plan to achieve success.

Leadership Development
Central to the One Family Scholars is the leadership development program. We launch the academic year with a weekend-long leadership retreat. Workshops are designed to help scholars to understand leadership in general, explore their own leadership capabilities and develop additional skills, and to create a plan for action. The work of One Family provides a ready forum for scholars’ leadership development as they become ambassadors for the program itself, and for the work to end family homelessness.

In addition to the intensive weekend-long conference, the program provides at least 2 additional 1 day leadership sessions throughout the year, where scholars reassess their skills, the skills they wish to build, and their action plans. Half-day workshops are interspersed throughout the year, designed to address the skill-building needs identified by the scholars themselves in the longer sessions. We strive to provide a range of skill-building workshops to meet each scholar’s needs for training, from time and stress management work, to advanced public speaking training. The program strives offers a wide spectrum of training and leadership opportunities to address the diverse levels of experience of the participants.

When One Family Scholars reach graduation, they are part of a network of professional women, with the academic credentials, self-confidence, experience, and leadership skills to be successful professionals and effective citizens of the world. The Scholars are then embraced by the OFS as Fellows, and are part of a growing network of OFS Ambassadors, providing outreach and support to future Scholars.

Plans for the future
One Family Scholars began in 2000 as an initiative of the Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation, and has been jointly administered by Wellspring House in Gloucester and Project Hope in Dorchester. For the academic year 2004-2005, with the help of additional funding from the Richard and Susan Smith Foundation and Oak Foundation, OFS launched its third and fourth sites, Housing Families in Malden, and Mainspring House in Brockton. In the academic year 2005-2006, we added Community Teamwork Inc. of  Lowell as our fifth site. The program has grown from 14 scholars to 125 in the 2007-2008 academic year. With support from Putnam Investments and other partners, OFS will continue to expand the program and work to end family homelessness in Massachusetts.